


HftH Missing Scenes for Whumptober

by SunshineOMeara



Series: Hope for the Hopeless [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Whumptober, Whumptober 2019, after whumptober is done im gonna reorder the chapters in chronological order, don't repost on another site, missing scenes for The Last Hope of the Dead, unless otherwise stated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2020-11-26 08:11:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 31
Words: 8,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20926976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshineOMeara/pseuds/SunshineOMeara
Summary: Whumptober but also missing scenes because I can totally make all these work in the series





	1. Explosion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.2

The eve of an eve saw snow falling innocently. It fell slowly to the ground in such a manner expected of the calm, peaceful night. The darkness was a blanket that protected all who slept.

The moon’s quarter was almost out shown by the twinkling stars as they kept a watchful eye over the peace. All those shroud in the night’s kind presence was preserved in a liminal stillness.

A cold, brittle wind flew by as winter reminded all of its presence. The winds howl echoed as light illuminated a kitchen. A woman slowly padded around grabbing items and letting doors slam in the otherwise peaceful home. 

Upstairs, her husband turned in his sleep. Her son groaned while his girlfriend, but soon to be fiancée, curled closer. 

The woman paid them no mind as she added the milk to her pan. Her hand reached to turn the stove on.

The wind ceased as the howl calmed in anticipation.

With a flick, the stillness of the night was broken. All around lights turned on and people ran out as the last fragments of the ‘boom’ ended.

A house once stood strong and proud, full of pain and resentment, love and happiness, walls colored on and children’s laughter, arguments between two people who never should have wed, and walls that kept up a facade that would be no more. The windows had been expelled from the frame and the all breath inside was stolen for the last time.

The wind gently caressed all who futilely tried to help those who knew no more. 

The stars twinkled as they watched over the chaos. The snow fell heavier in mourning. The stillness had lost its peace as death had arrived.

And miles away a lone woman pushed away the remnants of an untouched meal. Grimacing, she touched her stomach before moving on with her life.


	2. Trembling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.20

“They found you. You have five days to live.”

The words echoed in her brain as she locked herself in her room. She knew, logically, that this had the potential to happen. They all knew. But. They all had hoped they would be spared.

She slid down to the ground and stared at her trembling hands before clinging to her legs.

Five days. Five more days to live and love her husband and son.

It took hours to stop crying and trembling.


	3. Gunpoint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.5

The only hint she had that her worst fears were confirmed as the cocking of a gun. She froze completely, desperately hoping that she could get out of this. Hoping that she could see her son grow up.

Praying he got to live, even if she died that day.

A figure entered her vision. “Where is the Prince?”

“Not here nor is he a concern,” she whispered, thankful she was warned. Maybe she could spare his life.

“Oh, but he is.” The figure stepped closer, the gun still trained on her body. Adrianna knew that screaming for help would be futile. She would hit the ground before her scream could finish.

But she could save her son's life. “You want me because of my mother correct? Well, then that should cut your kill count down. I am not James’s biological mother.”

“Oh, nice try but-”

“I can’t get pregnant,” she knew interrupting her assassin was a terrible idea, but there was a gun in her face and her son’s life was on the line. “He’s George’s son but someone else is the mother.”

She hated every part of her that said that. She was her son’s mum. But James was a gift and a blessing. He deserved to live. He had no blood part in this sick game.

The gunman took his time considering her words. “We will find out if you are lying. If you are, he will die,” were the last words she heard before she knew no more.

No one would ever know of these events. The assassin was gone before she hit the ground.

It would be hours before anybody realized that the Princess of England was dead in her son’s nursery.

Never knowing that her last moments would be the only reason her son was granted life.


	4. Isolation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.7

A lone man sat hidden in an ivy-covered alcove off of the main garden. His back was against one of the walls and he had made himself as small as possible. He did not want to exist outside those four walls.

With the gate shut behind him, it looked like he was in a prison waiting for his sentence.

It certainly felt like it. He wanted to run away from everything he knew. It hurt too much to exist, but he promised. He can’t break that promise to his.

He escaped to his favourite place in the gardens to get away from his parents. If he stayed around them any longer, they would turn his childhood home into a prison. They already were.

They were going to break him completely if they don’t stop. He can’t keep living like this. 

He hasn’t known peace since she died. All anyone wanted was him to do things. And parent that child. Why couldn’t the child have died instead of.

He just wanted her back.

Instead, he mourned in isolation. Everybody wanted him to be someone he wasn’t and couldn’t be. He was a shell of a man and just wanted to be left alone.

He knew they would come for him soon. And when they did they would continue chipping away at him until there was nothing left but a husk.

He can’t do this. But she asked.

And he’s always been weak to her requests.


	5. Shaking Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.1

All she could do was stare at the strip and hope beyond any hope that it was wrong. Because she couldn’t be pregnant. Not right now. Not while this pit in her stomach is telling her she is next.

She can’t be pregnant. Please no.

There was a knock at the door. It took her seconds too long to answer. “Just a minute,” sounded hollow, but it was already there. She looked back at the test and reached for it, only to realize that her hands were shaking. She stared at them and watched as they got blurry.

“Elaina?”…was her husband at the door? He should be told about this right? That’s what married people do…right? Share things? “Are you okay? You’ve been in there for a while.”

“B-Ben, could. Could you. Enter?” Words were harder than they should be. Why was breathing so hard? And why was everything still so blurry?

The door opened. ‘_Guess I forgot to lock it,’_ she thought as she slowly turned to the door only to find her husband kneeling next to her. ‘_When did he get there? Oh. Wait. He's speaking.’_

“-nd out. Breathe with me. In and out. Come on, Elaina, in and out.” He sounded worried and kept looking for something on her face. She should probably say something.

“I’m pregnant and we are both going to die.” Wait. Rewind. “I am pregnant. I don’t want to be my mother.” Worse idea. Death was pleasurable actually.

“You won’t be.”

She shook her head at him. “They want us dead, Ben.”

He took her shaking hands into his own. The world was still blurry but breathing was easier as words came out. The shaking was now in her chest.

“We will find a way to insure her survival,” Ben promised his wife even though they both knew that they had no control over the future.

Especially because once **_they_** wanted you died, you were already a walking corpse.


	6. Wake up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 altno.1

A shrill cry pierced through the fog of sleep. 

“Not it,” mumbled the vague shape of his wife as he fought consciousness.

“‘Trovi turn,” he pushed out of his mouth as the cry slowly got louder. There was a knock on the door.

“Gilly, wake up, please,” begged his littlest sister, sounding like she just woke up from a nightmare.

He was out of bed before he even knew what he was doing. His wife was just getting out of the bed as he whipped the door open to reveal the crying faces of Lydia and Cecília Dimitrova. He worry skyrocketed.

“You're not on. What’s wrong?” He quickly switched from most confusing to most pressing as he shook his head. Confusion could wait, his sister distress could not.

“Ben asked me to take over baby duty and I did, but she wouldn’t calm down so I was going to give her to them and they aren’t there, Gilly. They aren’t there.” Her bottom lip was shaking as she tried not to cry even more than she already was.

Máire reached for the crying baby. “Gil,” she stressed. He nodded and pulled Lydia in for a hug.

“I’ll see if I can find them okay. Stay with, Máire.” He didn’t let her go until he felt her nod. Then he went off in search for his brother and sister.


	7. Dragged away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.6

Two people moved swiftly through the night. They were afraid of stopping. Time was slowly running out and they were uncomfortably aware of their mortality.

They made it to the next bus stop and looked around. Neither felt safe, but they were so close to their goal. One more bus and then they would be able to get to the car to get them to their last destination.

One more bus and they were safe.

For now.

The wife turned to her husband to say something. Time seemed to slow as she saw shadows move behind him. Right before she could warn him, time sped up and there was a needle in her neck and a hand over her mouth.

They went down like rocks and were dragged to a car that just pulled up.

The bus came and went.

The car was forgotten.


	8. Unconcious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.10

The car pulled up to an abandoned warehouse. Two unconscious bodies were dragged into the building. They were brought to two separate locations inside the building. 

They were both tired to a chair. They both had ice-cold water poured on their heads.

They both came to in a fit of shock to a gun pointed in their faces.

They both realized they lost and prepared themselves for death.


	9. Broken Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 altno.2

A man and his lawyer stared at each other. They had just gone over everything and while they both knew he was innocent, they also knew there was no hope for him. The case was too solid. They wouldn’t be able to prove his innocence, no matter what they did.

The woman looked up at him and studied his face like she would never see it again. He did the same, but unlike her, he didn’t hide the pain on his face. He looked at her like he knew it was the last time he would ever see her face.

The woman took a deep breath and squared herself. She looked her husband in the eye and spoke softly. “We both know how this ends. One way or another, our children.” She stopped and closed her eyes for a moment to recenter herself. “They will not know their father.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, barely keeping his voice steady. A tear left his wife’s eyes and he desperately wished to wipe it away.

“I love you,” her voice breaking as more tears fell from both their eyes. “I love you so much and they deserve to know their father.”

“They do,” he agreed, taking her hand.

“So make sure that they do,” the woman said, wiping her tears away. “Make sure that they know their father. Make sure that. That you live,” she stressed the last word while squeezing his hand.

He froze as he took in the posture of his wife. She was slowly putting herself together and looked stronger each moment. He squeezed her hand back.

When the news hit that the man had escaped during prison transfer and there was a nationwide manhunt, the woman simply smirked into her tea before getting up to give a statement to the officers at her door. 


	10. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 altno.6

A small army of children were walking in, an attempt at, a straight line. They were all following the oldest child there and were all very tired. Naptime had definitely passed.

“Sirius, if we're lost again...” the second oldest there threatened, glaring at Sirius.

“Home’s in this direction. I swear, Di,” he said with far more confidence than he felt.

“Pretty sure home is to the left of us, but okay,” his little sister quietly snarked to James, her walking buddy.

“Should have stayed with the babies. Father is not gonna be happy,” he whispered back as they trudged along, listening to their ‘fearless leaders’ get them more lost.

After what felt like ages of more walking Juliska stopped. “Siri, mum’s mad at you,” she said looking off to the right. 

All the other kids stopped at looked in the same direction. It was a testament to how often they got lost in the woods with her that they trusted her ears more than their own. She always knew when help was looking for them. Sirius sighed before heading in the direction his sister was looking at.

“Hopefully she’s more worried than mad,” he said, hunching in on himself a little.

“Third time this week,” Diana reminded him. The Monday had started off fairly tame and the adventures had been fun until they had eaten all their snacks. They learned quickly that while putting Sirius in charge of the expeditions lead to them seeing new and different things, he always got them lost.

It was as much of a guarantee as the sun come up and going back down.

“Hey, we were only present for two of those,” James reminded her. He always felt the need to remind miss-I-told-you-so of the facts. She harped too much on unimportant things, in his five-year-old opinion.

“Mum just wants us safe,” Juliska reminded them all as she led them closer and closer to her mum. “She just worried about Sirius accidentally leading us to a road.”

“That wouldn’t happen!” The boy in question objected.

“Three months ago,” Diana reminded him. He tried glaring at her but his pout outweighed any intimidating factor. Plus, the dry look on her face reminded him too much of his mum. He swore she practiced it in the mirror.

It was then that they could all hear Máire yelling for them. They took off running but made sure they could see each other. She was really mad that one time they left James in the dust.


	11. Numb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.29

They say time heals all wounds. They say that love can fix all. But what if love vanished in a splatter of blood? In the unsung echos of a silencer? Can love come back to those who lost it? Will time heals those wounds?

Most will say that love will come back and that time can heal it. But watching an old friend makes me question it. He walks every day like he doesn’t feel a thing. Like he is going through the motions and is completely numb to the world. The only times I have seen him express a normal amount of emotion was when his parents told him he was to remarry and when his wife tried to force his son to marry.

It’s been 21 years since she died. 20 since my own death. Those are two times of normal emotion. He used to smile at his son and be happy to see him. Now he only smiles when the camera is there. I don’t know if anybody knows the last time he told his son he loved him or was proud of him.

It’s like when he lost her, he lost himself. He is now a shell of a human with no emotions. Or emotions so numb he can’t feel them.

He refuses help and I fear I’ll meet him again before his time.


	12. Human Shield

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.4

One second she was walking and waving, and the next she was on the ground with her brother covering her body. Where there once was cheering was now screaming. She had no idea what to do, but suddenly hands were grabbing her and pulling her up. 

For some odd reason, her brother didn’t get up with her. But she was being pulled along and shoved into a car. Next thing she knew, her door was being pulled open and her husband was there. 

The area behind him was green not of buildings. 

“Tell me that isn’t your blood,” was the first thing out of his mouth, his face full of concern.

“I’m not hurt,” she said touching the blood. She wasn’t in pain, although she was concerned about the child inside her. “I’d like to see Doc about the baby though.”

“We can get you there momentarily. Provided the Prince will let us move again,” Commander Emily Harkness said, her tone slightly scolding.

“Where’s Sir- Em, where’s my brother?” she had looked down at the blood again, remembering the heaviness of her brother’s body over her’s and the gunshot that cut through the peace.

“…We had to get you two out of there. That is protocol,” Emily responded after a slight hesitation.

Husband and wife looked at each other, eyes wide. They knew how the protocol worked. But they also knew, her brother wouldn’t have left her like that, which could only mean one thing. 

That was when the dread in her stomach grew too large and she turned and vomited all she could. 

He promised to never use himself as a human shield. He promised.

He lied.


	13. Tear-stained

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.14

“Hey, big bro. I’d like you to meet someone.” A young woman knelt in front of a grave. She was holding a three-month-old in her arms. “Sorry, we didn’t stop by sooner but. It’s been a hard year. Uh. We thought of naming him after you, but. I couldn’t bring myself to do that. So, yeah. Please meet your nephew, Luke.”

She moved the baby so he was facing the grave. They just existed there for a few moments as the woman tried to keep her tears in. 

“We wouldn’t be here without you. And while it kills me you won’t get to meet him or see your boys grow,” she had to stop talking here as tears started falling. “Thank you.”

She buried her face into her son’s head and cried until he started fussing. Then she wiped her eyes and picked her little boy up. “Let’s go see my mumma, baby.”

As she walked back, she wiped her son’s head clean of tears. Her face could be tear-stained all she wanted but his should stay clean.


	14. Breathless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 altno.13

Life can change in a moment. All it takes is a millisecond and nothing you know will ever be the same.

It was only her training that had gotten her moving. She had run to safety, but it was pointless as the shooting had stopped shortly after that first shot.

It had felt almost like a warning.

“Lie to us again and more innocent blood will die.”

Of course, that would be her assumption if anybody had asked. But all they said were things like ‘she’s in shock,’ ‘can you hear me,’ and most obnoxiously of all, ‘ I need you to breathe.’

She was fine and breathing. What did they know. They didn’t just lose their sister.

So what if her chest hurt and there were spots in her eyes.

The speckles of blood on her were warm, warming than the tears streaming down her face, warming than her breath once it returned as it slowly evened out.


	15. Hiding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 altno.9

**One**

She felt like she should definitely feel bad about sleeping with her brother's best friend but. Her options were limited and time was short. It was such a good night too. If life was different, maybe they could have dated first before becoming something more. He was so nice, and if things were really different, she would have been raised with him. Maybe they would have been like Rosie and Luke, childhood friends who fell in love.

If only things were different.

**Two**

It’s been so long since she was last sick. Last time she spent the whole time delirious, and now puking her guts out. The only good thing about this illness is that she gets to spend more time as herself.

It would’ve been nice if she could spend all her time sick surrounded by family. 

But well, if only things were different, right?

**Three**

_‘Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,’ _was all she could thing because. _‘F U C K!’ _She was terrified of taking a test. She knew what would show up. There is no way that thing would have let her body gain fat. Between the puking and fucking grass cravings. 

Fuck. She has to choose between risking the child’s life and. Well no. That’s the only option, isn’t it? Risk the child’s life or save them from what could come.

If only things were different, maybe she would have been happy.

**Four**

She’s a fucking idiot. Instead of getting an abortion, like she SHOULD, she stole tech from her brother’s OTHER best friend and is now hiding her pregnancy. It’s not going to be long before **_they_** figure out she’s pregnant and. Fuck. She needs to get this over with. 

She needs help. But if she asks then they will all know and then **_they_** might find out.

_‘I wish things were different.’_

**Five**

_‘I would give anything for things to be different.’_

**Six**

The only upside is that now she is in complete control of her body. The downside is **_they_** want to know who the father is and the doctors wouldn’t stop. 

Are they even doctors?

_‘I wish he was here. I don’t want them to know but he should.’_

Imagine if things were different.

**Seven**

**_They_** stole him. She hates it so much. But he’s here and somehow everything is better. 

Neither of them will survive this. And neither of them really want their children to survive this.

One moment of just wanting to pretend to be a normal person. To experience life as a normal person. And this is what happens.

They both wish things were different.

**Eight**

Five pure souls and a dead father. 

If only things were different, than maybe their lives weren’t as doomed as the man she swore she loved.


	16. "Stay Quiet"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 altno.8

When he looked back on that day, he would always say it started out so nicely. He was out with his brother and little sister, and their ‘cousin.’ It was such a nice day and then Claudia has picked Sofia up. Normally, that wasn’t a strange thing but at age six Sofia had decided she didn’t want to be picked up anymore and everybody was respecting that.

Then the lady showed up. She seemed nice, but she put the older two on edge and the next thing he knew a van had pulled up, his brother had punched the lady and Claudia was pulling him away.

And then Claudia gave him Sofia and started fighting the person who had come up behind them.

“Run! Get out of here,” was the last thing he heard from her before he fled.

He ran as far away as possible with his little sister. He ended up taking them to a back room and hid. He sent a ‘SOS’ text to all the adults and hid with his sister.

Who was going to give away their position if she kept weeping. “Soph,” he hissed, “stop it. You have to stay quiet or they’ll find us.”

That was not the right thing to say because her sobs got louder. Huffing, he pulled her closer and pat her head like he’d seen his dad and brother do when people were in distress.

“Dad and aunt Abi will show up. Don’t worry,” was all he could say. He had no idea if who would find them.

It took two hours for anybody to find them. 

Turns out they got lucky. The bad people didn’t find them because of some nice people. 

But the bad people took Matthias and Claudia. And aunt Violet can’t find them.

It’s been over a year since either of them have been seen.


	17. Shackled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.9

A teenaged girl was slowly waking up. Her head hurt and her arms left like they were going to fall off. She knew something was wrong, but she couldn’t pinpoint it nor could she keep a moan from escaping when she moved. Everything hurt so much.

“Ah she wakes,” came a voice from far away. She slowly opened her eyes and saw blurs. Everything was so blurry and bright and it all hurt so much so she closed them.

The next thing she knew electritiy was flowing through her and she screamed. It only lasted a few seconds, but everything hurt so much more and her wrists burned.

“Ah ah ah, I need you awake,” said the voice again, floating between far and close. “Drop her.” 

She had a sudden case of vertigo as she plummeted a few feet to the ground. Everything hurt so much more and all her aches were screaming. Oh. No, that was her.

The next thing she knew was she was being manhandled and brought over to a scientist looking person. She heard chains moving as her left arm was presented to the man.

Oh. Wait, she's chained up. Shit. They actually got her. She could only watch in horror as a syringe was brought to her arm. The knife in her back said fighting was a terrible option, although she already figured that out due to the aches all over. She had at least three broken bones and her shoulders told her that she had been hanging from her wrists for a while.

None of the pain she felt could compare to whatever she was injected with. The last thing she knew was searing pain, screams and then darkness.


	18. Hallucination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.22

Her days were filled with pain and food she had a hard time keeping down. She lost track of how many days she’d been here. It seemed like they were giving her three square meals but between the puking and passing out, she really had no idea how long it had been.

All she knew for sure was that she started hallucinating an approximate of a month ago. At least, that’s what she thinks it is because she can’t think of another reason she could see her dead and missing aunt and uncle. 

The most fascinating thing about her aunt was that her head was still attached to her body and there was no sign of death on her. Her head was all that the family could bury so it was interesting that her hallucination looked so. Alive.

Or maybe that’s how hallucinations work. She had no idea. Her dead uncle looked more like when he died than her aunt so maybe it was the last image she saw them?

She’d ask but there were cameras and she thought it was probably a bad idea to talk to the hallucinations. 

All they did was watch though. That was strange. Don’t hallucinations talk to you? The voice in her head that started ages ago kept screaming at her. Not really sure what they expected her to do though.

Maybe the hallucinations not talking was a good thing.

She kind of wished she could talk to them. Maybe they could tell her if death was better.


	19. Secret Injury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.24

“So what’s the computer's idea of what’s wrong with her,” Jean asked Marco as soon as he pushed the computer away from him. 

Marco pursed his lips and just sat there in silence for a bit.

“I’m gonna hope the computer is wrong or CT is gonna get fuuuucked,” Matthias whispered to Jean as he adjusted himself in his seat. Broken bones made sitting much harder than previously thought.

“I mean. It’s an AI, but its an AI by Aunt V so. Claudia’s fucked,” Jean whispered back. Marco leaned his head back and let out a huge sigh.

“When we asked her what was wrong. She. Said that. It was a couple broken bones. Few cuts here and there. And that was it.” Marco stated with barely concealed rage. 

Marco just breathed heavily there for a bit as Jean and Matthias exchanged a look. Marco showing anger was a real bad sign.

“I’m scared,” Jean leaned over closer to Matthias to quietly whisper.

“Me too,” Matthias answered, even quieter.

“What she has it!” Marco said was a ‘gleeful’ rage as he yanked the computer closer to him. “Oh let’s see what was it again. Ah yes, 42 broken bones, both her shoulders are dislocated, and I guess had started healing which means they need to be fixed, how we didn’t notice that fucked-upness I’m not sure. She doesn’t have cuts so much as infected old wounds. Oh, and half her ribs are broken just for the fucking record! And both her legs are broken in various locations as well as her right fucking knee cap that doesn't even exist anymore outside of being SHATTERED TO PIECES!”

Both boys jumped in their seats, and regretted it, at Marco’s anger. They’ve never seen him mad before. He always tried to keep it in. 

Maybe they had all been broken more than they thought.

Because of their surprise at Marco’s anger, it took a second for the information to sink in.

“Wait. Wait, wait, wait, did you say her legs were broken?” Jean said, staring in disbelief.

“And shattered knee cap,” Matthias whispered, looking at the ground in horror. “That’s way worse than the time she sprained her ankle.

“Uh, this is all worse than that! Matt, she was walking like nothing hurt!” Jean whipped around to stare at Matthias in disbelief.

“Yeah, but that’s not that surprising.”

“What?” Marco said as he joined Jean in staring at Matthias in disbelief.

“It’s Claudia,” Matthias said, looking between them. “She’s always pushed herself way more than any of us. I’m pretty sure as much as Aunt R is a role model, Aunt Abi is way more.”

Marco winced. “My mom is not and should never be an inspiration.”

“Yeah, but Claudia has always kind of loved your mom,” Matthias shrugged.

They let the information sit before staring at Claudia’s prone figure in the room next to them. 


	20. Infection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 altno.11

“How is she?” Marco whispered as he entered the hospital room. Matthias was uncomfortably curled up in the chair next to Claudia’s bed.

“The infection’s worse. I think she really needs a doctor.”

Marco took the chair on the other side of the bed. They at in silence for a while.

“Think its safe?” Marco breathed out as he stared at the face of his sister in all but blood.

“Not sure we have a choice. Her fever hasn’t broken yet and the AI keeps blinking that a human doctor is needed. It’s been almost 24 hours since that started,” Matthias said. He shifted in his seat before looking at Marco’s eyes, which were still fixed on Claudia’s face. “I know that it isn’t safe and that someone might die if we go to the doctors, but.”

“She needs help,” Marco finished, finally looking Matthias in the eye.


	21. Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.15

Matthias could count on one hand the number of times he’s seen his dad without a shirt on. It’s never really been something he’s ever thought about. Most people are glad to never seen their parents without shirts on.

But right now all he could think about was that one day when he was six. His aunt Abi had insisted on working with his dad on his self-defense. Matthias technically wasn’t supposed to be watching. His mom thought he might get ideas.

She was right but it had been annoying at the time. And it's not like he didn’t know some self-defense back then. He just never mentioned it because he was pretty sure nobody told Marco that they banned his mom from teaching the kids self-defense. The adults never considered Marco would be the one teaching them. It was their own fault anyway.

Matthias had thought the whole thing was really cool, but what stuck with him the most was the point where his dad used his shirt to try and wipe the sweat off his face. Even from his vantage point, he could see the strange spots on his dad’s chest. He never asked what they were because his dad dropped his shirt like he had been burnt after he lifted it. The only reason the moment stuck with him was what his aunt said in response to that.

“You got shot. So what? Are you done?” She punctured that last question by getting into a position to kick his butt.

The memory kept replying in Matthias’s mind as he looked at the scars his body now housed, but especially the bullet wounds. Because how do you survive getting shot so many times in the chest? Matthias felt like dying with the two in his leg and one in his shoulder.

Then again, Mattias considered looking at the ‘surgical’ scar on his chest. Maybe getting shot would have been better than being opened up like a lab rat corpse. 


	22. Muffled scream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.18

Every day and every night all she heard was screams and pain. Echoing in her head. She knew nobody else could hear it. They would have responded to the cries for help. It felt like she was going insane and every day she felt this need to just scream climb in her throat.

It made her want to claw at her chest. To rip something out of her.

She fought every day to hide her shaking limbs and pay attention to the people around her. It was a battle every day to figure out if the shaking and inattention were due to the things she heard or the pain she had undergone.

And every day she swore the dead had risen and were haunting her. Watching her. Watching them. Just there. And they wouldn’t leave.

Why won’t they leave?

She tries so hard to ignore them and their words. It works as well as ignoring the final words of many in her head.

She just wants peace and quiet and no matter how often she tries to muffle her screams in her pillow. No matter how often she tries to let this building scream out. It won’t leave her.

Like the dying words and the specters.

They won’t leave her alone.

And she just wants to scream. And cry. And rage.

But she’s so scared. And the world becomes less and less real every day.


	23. Adrenaline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.13

Marco stood off to the side as he watched Claudia perform a complicated gymnastics routine. He didn’t move from his position as another person entered the gymnasium.

”My entire body aches watching this,” Jean said, grimacing and rubbing his shoulders.

“Technically, her body is healed, but yeah she’s only been mobile for less than a month,” Marco agreed, his disapproval showing on his face more than voice.

“Please,” came a voice that startled both men, who finally took their eyes off of her to look at the new arrival, “CT wouldn’t let anything hold her down. Even though she is going to need to soak for hours in the tub tonight and be in so much pain.”

“Everything about that worries me more,” Marco said as Mattias rolled his eyes.

“It’s Claudia. She’s never been good at being sidelined and you know it.”

“She’s like an adrenaline junkie, but also a masochist,” Jean said as she practically flew off a beam and didn’t stop spinning until she hit the ground.

“Her nerves might be fried,” Marco grimaced, preparing of an on slot of protests, and was shocked when all that happened was he gained the younger two’s attention. “She needs to see a doctor to tell for sure, but some of the results of everything are concerning.”

“Everything relating to her is concerning,” Jean griped.

“You're just jealous that it's taking forever to heal and that none of us can do any of that yet,” Mattias said, hip checking Jean.

“Oh yeah totally jealous of sheering pain and fucking up joints for the rest of my life.”

“At least my knee isn’t shattered anymore,” Claudia dryly stated as all three of the males jumped. They looked at her in surprise as none of them noticed she was done.

“Feel better?” Mattias asked.

Claudia gave them all a razor-sharp smile, “I feel like death warmed over and that I’ll be a broken frail old lady.”

“C,” Marco warned, elongating the letter.

“Probably will be fucked up later tonight and the nerve thing might be true or I just got real good at ignoring pain. Either way, fuck y’all I’m taking a shower,” she punctuated her point by walking away from them and taking her shirt off.

“Claudia!” They all yelled as they looked away. Her laughter followed her all the way to the showers.


	24. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 altno.10

Matthias was up and running before he even knew what was going on. His only goal was to make it to his brother. He threw open the door just as the whimpers and shouts starting rising in volume. 

After a quick visual check of the room for anything that didn’t belong, he rushed to his brother's side. As soon as he sat down and reach for his brother, he woke up.

“You’re safe. Perfe-” Matthias was cut off as Nikolaus slammed into his chest and started sobbing. He wrapped his arms around his little brother and let him sob.

Neither moved for a long while. Matthias just kept rubbing his back and telling him that he was safe. Eventually, though, his sobs subsided. 

“Sorry,” was the muffled whisper that came from his stomach.

“Everybody has nightmares, Niko,” he whispered back, still rubbing his brothers back. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I dreamt they took you again,” Nikolaus whispered after a few minutes. Matthias’s heart lurched at the quiet admission.

“I’m right here.” It didn’t feel like enough, but what else could he say?

“But you weren’t for a long time.”

There was nothing to be said to that. Matthias knew he could have come home months earlier but stayed away. He put it down as protection, but he also didn’t want his family to see how broken he had been. All he could do was hug his brother, and come to him the next time he had a nightmare.

Neither brother moved for a long while. In fact, the only reason they moved was their baby sister came into the room. She had woken up to Matthias no longer there.

It really drove home for Matthias how much his kidnapping had affected his younger siblings. Neither slept well anymore.


	25. "Stay with me"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.17

A man looks at his phone in despair. He always knew his past would catch up with him, but he had hoped that it wouldn’t. He looked up at his wife and all he could say was, “Sorry.”

Tears pooled in her eyes as she looked at him. “Don’t. It’s a warrant for arrest. It. It doesn’t have to be that big of a deal.”

They both knew that it was and that the second this warrant was sent out, his life was over. Before he could continue this discussion, his daughter came flying into the room.

“Ugh. I forgot how much I hate school,” she complained on the way to the kitchen. 

The man opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by a knock on the door. He looked at his wife, and in a moment of pure fear could only say, “Stay with me, please.”

She gave him a watery smile as she dabbed her eyes and went to answer the door.

“Who's here?” his little girl asked, popping out of the kitchen, looking confused and slightly scared.

He stood up and opened his arms. She looked at him in pure fear before launching herself at him. Fuck. She got so big.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered into her hair.

“Don’t let them win,” she whispered back as his wife yelled for him. The fear in her voice got them both to move quickly to the door. Everything happened so fast and the next thing he knew they were both being brought to the car as his daughter yelled from the door that there had to be a mistake.

The car pulled away from the house and he could see his daughter giving their neighbor what for. He almost felt sorry for the guy except that he was one of the arresting officers. Hopefully, he would just take her to school and she would be safe there.

More than likely she would bully him into letting her see them arrive at the station.

The ride itself was silent. Thankfully the officers didn’t have anything to say. His wife was curled next to him, which was both something he was thankful for and something he knew he would live to regret. Luckily for him, he wouldn’t.

Neither of them knew what hit them.

Neither of them would ever know how loud their daughter screamed from the car behind them.

Neither of them would know how long it took for their bodies to be separated.

‘To death until us part’ except even in death they were together.


	26. Beaten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.28

The ringing in her hadn’t stopped for hours and the beating lightly wasn’t going to help. Her whole body ached from the explosion and her kidnapping yesterday? two days ago? and the beating she just received and the one that happened before that.

The only good thing about not being able to hear is that she can’t answer the questions she knows they are asking. She will die before she returns him to this hell hole. But fuck it would be nice if she could breathe without it being painful.

Or maybe some food or water. Ice for her...entire fucking body. Just any kind of kindness. 


	27. Embrace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.31

“You look like shit.” It was an undeniable fact. She probably could have handled it all better, but well even with her experience with death, she never got better at handling it.

She sat down next to one of the many kids who called her ‘Aunt Alex,’ but that she secretly calls her grandkids. Even if they technically should have a ‘great’ in there.

“Feel like it.” He was sulking, had been since they dragged him back. Back from watching his mother get murdered at her own trial.

“Wanna talk about it?” She knew it was the wrong question as soon as it left her mouth. His scornful scoff reinforced that idea.

“Not really,” the missing teenage attitude he never had finally rearing its head in his voice as he responded to her.

“How about a hug then?” She whispered. They were silent for a while before he rolled closer to her. She pulled him into her arms and before long he was clinging to her and sobbing his eyes out.

She held him long after he had cried himself to sleep. Wishing for the umpteenth time in her life that she had the power to take away another's pain.


	28. "Don't move"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.12

“Don’t. Move.” It was such a simple sentence. Even though it was said as if each word was its own sentence. It was so simple and yet everybody who heard it felt like they were petrified. There was only a hint of anger in that tone, and yet the fear that rushed through every single body who heard it was so intense that if they weren’t frozen in spot, they likely would have been trembling.

Nobody moved for a minute. Then, almost like dominoes, the heads slowly turned to their classmate. Their classmate who had a gun pointed at a teacher.

A classmate who has been missing for two months. A classmate who, last they all had seen, had been in a wheelchair due to a messed up knee.

She was standing tall in the hallway and her stance demanded respect. Later, when everybody was going over what had happened not a single person could say that they saw her enter the building. Not a single soul could pinpoint where she came from or figure out exactly what happened. 

But while in the moment, they all stared at her as she threatened someone who looked far too calm. In fact, they would all recall the way the teacher seemed almost amused by the situation.

Not as amused as the classmate who smiled an ugly and demented smile. She cocked the gun and simply said, “I’d say tell your bosses to go fuck themselves but well,” then shrugged and shot the teacher in the head before her words fully registered with anyone. “My apologies for the trauma. Someone please get a quote to the newspaper and have it said ‘try that again and what I did now and last year will look like nothing. Yes, that is a threat.’”

And then, because everyone was still frozen in shock, she left. All they could do is stare as her heels clicked and she walked out of the building, never to be seen again.


	29. Abandoned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.26

It had been 10 years since anyone had entered the house. It felt like ghosts were walking around and the dust had permanently settled into the walls. She knew that wasn’t true. The dust could be removed and no ghosts haunted the house, but it felt haunted. It felt like a mausoleum.

She walked farther into the house, looking at all the pictures on the walls and the items dropped to be picked up later but had forever been forgotten. It might have only been 10 years but it felt like 50 or 100 had actually passed. She certainly felt that old.

Stopping in the kitchen, she felt like she had been transported to the last time she talked to her parents. She had been rushing, again, to get to school on time. She had woken up that day with a pit in her stomach and a scream in her throat. It took her longer than she would have ever wanted to admit to get ready for school that day.

Her biggest regret was taking so long to go downstairs. She wished for just a couple more minutes with her parents. Instead, they had gotten arrested and she lost both of them that day. The pit had gotten bigger and the urge to scream had gotten so overwhelming that she had been clamping her jaw shut the entire ride. All she wanted was to see them arrive safely so that she could pretend the pit was a sickness.

Instead, she screamed so loud she shattered glass. Then she ran and ran and didn’t stop running until she locked herself in her room. 

She missed her first hour and was late for the second. All she could think of was that being around people was safer. Then her aunt picked her up after school and the pain never left.

Maybe another few years would be better. She abandoned it for this long. Why not longer?


	30. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.30

The thing about loss in any sense is that there comes a point in time where you have to pick yourself up again and move on. This is not always a conscious decision. Sometimes it’s something that happens so gradually it sneaks up on you. Most of the time there are highs and lows as you try and get back to where you were before the loss. 

It’s like recovering from someone stealing something from you.

It can look like overwhelming grief that debilitates a person to the point where you wonder if they can ever recover from it. It leaves such a stain on their person that they will never be the same person they once were. They try and try so hard to, maybe not move on, but to reach a more okay place, but they keep falling down the hole. 

It can look like strength and moving on during the day and breakdowns at night for months. A facade for the day to keep life moving forward for those who don’t understand and breakdowns over the pain hidden in the dark to keep the day time facade seem real. Slowly, time heals and the breakdowns are less and the facade becomes more real. Eventually, they reach a part in time where they feel more whole and accept what had happened.

It can look like rage at life and blaming others while trying not to breakdown. It can look like months of anger and hatred that simmers so close to the top, a 180° from normal. Slowly, over time, the rage stops threatening to boil over and peace is made. Slowly, they allow themselves to grieve and heal from the wounds of the pain.

It can look like frantic rearranging of life to keep everything together and one. It can look like the tossing of dreams aside and tears every night. It can look like resentment that wants so much to form but pain keeps it from forming. It can look like understanding that keeps the tears from drying up. Until one day, where they can stand on their feet again and walk without wanting to burst into tears. One day where it doesn’t hurt as much to think about what could have been. And dream of the day where you don’t keep wishing to go back and continue living out your dream.

It can look peace on the outside but a crumbling inside that is threatening to take over a life. This tends to be the one where spite is the only thing that keeps the person going and helps them glue their pieces together to become stronger. Sheer determination keeps them going and brings them healing.

Regardless of how you recover, or don’t, from grief or pain, a support system helps keep the bad days from being overwhelming. Although, for some, it does nothing for their recovery. We all deal with the pain in different ways. All our recovery looks different.


	31. Bleeding out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober 2019 no.23

“Hey, CT, what’s up?” Matthias asked as he submitted an assignment. After a couple seconds of her not answering, he set aside his computer and paid more attention to his phone. “Claudia? You safe?”

“...how long do I hold this to my ear?” Claudia asked, sounding sleepy. Matthias was about to respond when she started talking again. “I don’t know. I just did what you said to do.”

Matthias pulled his computer back to him to message Aunt Violet for Claudia’s location as she kept talking.

“Ooo that’s sad... Hey, Aunt Ally says hi Mattie. Oh. Sorry, Aunt ‘Laina said no- Oh. No names. Okay.”

Matthias had stiffened at ‘Aunt Ally’ but he was now extremely concerned about her. His (alive) aunt wasn’t helping the situation by not knowing where she is. Claudia sounded like she was drunk, but she kept saying the names of dead people.

“Psst. Psst! Mattie!”

“What?” He responded purely on reflex even though he was concerned she couldn’t hear him.

“Matt! Matthias! Ugh. You are useless Mr. MESS. Use. Less! I’m trying to tell you something and you aren’t responding.”

‘Yeah it hurt to be right,’ Matthias thought as he waited for something to help.

“Why? No. Can’t do that. Oh. Okay, I can. Is it on speaker? Aunt Wonder Woman wants to know.”

“It’s on speaker, C,” Matthias whispered, his heart clenching because it had to be bad if she was hallucinating dead people.

“Somethings good. Why is som- Oh. Why do I-? Ugh. Fine. Okay. So, Mattie, you aren’t THERE but Uncle Doctor man said to tell you, because I guess telling no one is a good thing, sorry, but I am losing lots of blood. It is going bye-bye, according to doctor man, and I have not much time before I can no longer be ow ow. Ooo, Auntie No More no like that sorry.”

“Can you tell me where you are?” Matthias asked when he realized she was getting distracted.

“Mista Blacks and Missus Wondy saids to tell you that ow ow land be....park eight by homesy.”

He attacked his computer and sent the information to his who he hoped would get someone there soon. Her voice was fading and it was scaring him more than the nicknames and allusions to dead people.

“Hey, Mattie, can you tell Freddie that I said bye-bye? He was nice. Sent to probably hurt but I liked him. I’m gonna nap now. Doctor Doctor says no but the man can suck and I can bye.”

“Claudia. Claudia, don’t you dare,” Mattias said, his heart pounding as he felt so helpless. “Claudia Terezi, don’t you fucking dare.”

“Bye-bye,” was the silent whisper. And all he could do was feel his heartbreaking in a million pieces has her breath went away and the sirens came, seconds too late.


End file.
